It was the first public assertion by the government that ASD had a tie to E-Bullion.

The Blog further reported that E-Bullion had been linked to at least three alleged Ponzi or fraud schemes: ASD, Gold Quest International (GQI) and Flat Electronic Data Interchange (FEDI), whose convicted operator, Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, was associated with convicted Ponzi schemer Brian David Anderson.

Alishtari, also known as Michael Mixon, was convicted in 2009 of financing terrorism. Anderson, a FEDI pitchman, was sentenced to federal prison for his role in yet-another Ponzi scheme known as Frontier Assets. He also has been linked to a mysterious scheme known as the “Alpha Project.”

Like ASD’s Andy Bowdoin, Alishtari donated money to the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to the Federal Election Commission database. Documents reviewed by the PP Blog show that payments from the FEDI scheme were referred to as “rebates.” ASD also called its payments to participants “rebates.”

Today the PP Blog is reporting that federal investigators also have established a link between E-Bullion and Legisi, a company whose operator, Gregory N. McKnight, was accused by the SEC in May 2008 of operating a massive Ponzi and fraud scheme based in Michigan. During the same month, the SEC also accused GQI of operating a massive Ponzi and fraud scheme from Las Vegas. Investigators likewise established a GQI link to E-Bullion.

Documents reviewed by the PP Blog show that records maintained by E-Bullion were the subject of a subpoena issued on Aug. 6, 2008 — five days after tens of millions of dollars were seized by the U.S. Secret Service from bank accounts controlled by ASD’s Bowdoin. The subpoena was issued in the Legisi case.

As the PP Blog previously reported, the Secret Service, which used undercover operatives in the ASD case, also used an undercover operative in the Legisi case. In fact, the Blog reported, the Secret Service undercover operative and an undercover operative from the state of Michigan, had a face-to-face meeting with Legisi’s McKnight in his office.

Legisi later began to act in a fashion that only can be described as bizarre, allegedly morphing into a sort of super-secret enterprise that was exhibiting clear signs of paranoia. Investors, for example, were asked to submit to a loyalty oath and pledge that they weren’t government investigators or informants.

“This Association of members hereby declares that our main objective is to protect our rights to freedom of choice regarding our advertising and marketing information and conduct, through maintaining our Constitutional rights,” AVG announced on its website in February 2009.

ASD President Andy Bowdoin was indicted earlier this month on federal charges of wire fraud, securities fraud and selling unregistered securities. Prosecutors alleged he was operating a Ponzi scheme that had gathered at least $110 million. The indictment accused Bowdoin of making campaign donations to the National Republican Congressional Committee with proceeds from the ASD Ponzi scheme.

Six days ago, prosecutors alleged in a forfeiture complaint that ASD member Erma Seabaugh used E-Bullion in November 2007 to transfer $10,510 to ASD. The alleged transfer occurred about six months before E-Bullion’s name surfaced in the GQI and Legisi cases brought by the SEC.

When investigators later searched the home of James Fayed in the murder investigation, they found “approximately $60,000 in cash wrapped in plastic material; approximately $3,000,000 in gold; and approximately 31 firearms, including one with a long-range night vision scope, along with thousands of rounds of matching ammunition,” prosecutors alleged.

Pamela Fayed was stabbed to death in a California parking garage on July 28, 2008. The Secret Service, which had begun its investigation of Bowdoin less than a month earlier, seized his assets three days later, on Aug. 1, 2008.

The agents said Bowdoin was moving large sums of money outside the United States and had talked about buying a home in another country. In September 2008, the month after ASD’s assets were seized, an indictment was unsealed in Connecticut that accused Robert Hodgins of Virtual Money Inc. of helping a Colombia narcotics operation launder money at ATMs in Medellin.

Virtual Money Inc. once provided debit cards to ASD, according to an ASD downline group.

CLOSING NOTE: Read this chilling document from the case against Fayed in California. Also see this 2007 report from CBS News. CBS reported FEDI operator Alishtari claimed to be “[National Republican Congressional Committee] New York State Businessman of the Year. ASD members later would make similar claims about Bowdoin.)

laidback, you are correct. Maybe Andy shouldn’t have accused her of being “corrupt, bribed or incompetent” during the civil case. I will likely come back to haunt him.

Personally, I thing Her Honor Judge Collyer is PERFECT to hear the criminal case; she is already used to the crap Andy and his lawyers can submit. I have a feeling with these recent developments, things are compounding against poor “Uncle Saint Andy”.

I think when all of the ‘stuff’ that went on behind the scenes at ASD comes out in open court, there are going to be a lot of really shocked members. I would not be surprised if it spawned a series of civil suits against their upline sponsors. And if the major promoters are charged criminally, they could face both criminal and civil cases at the same time. Unless they cut a deal of course.

What is truly going to be interesting is to see who turns on who, and who “outs” who first to save their own skin. But if you think you have seen bizarre in this case so far, you haven’t seen nothing yet. You are about to find out what bizarre really is.

I also bet Andy’s lawyers are going to be trying with all their might to get a new judge assigned to this case. I just hope it is denied. This going to be entertaining to watch!!!!!!!!!!!! Had to toss (!) in for Patrick since he loves them so much.

But if you think you have seen bizarre in this case so far, you haven’t seen nothing yet.

Bowdoin and ASD didn’t do anything original or abnormal when it comes to HYIP ponzi games.

The success or otherwise of the modern day fraudster is largely dependent on which combination of standard HYIP ponzi strategies they choose to employ.

To date, I can’t remember seeing any of the long term observers of the “scene” finding that anything done by Bowdoin, AdSurf Daily or co conspirators unusual or which hadn’t been done before multiple times.

It may be the first time that a defendant in a ponzi HYIP case comes before a Federal Court Judge who he has already accused of everything except for coming from outer space herself. (He’s probably saving that gem for his criminal defence. lol)

If even HALF of what Lynn suspects actually happens, it could put Law & Order, Judge Judy and a few more prime time successes in the shade. Real life could end up being even more fascinating.

True, there have been hundreds of similar scams. What is amazing to me is this: Andy and others paraded around on stage waving their checks and money. They flaunted the authorities and didn’t seem to care. They knew they were involved in a Ponzi that was unsustainable, yet they flaunted their thievery. If it had stayed small and under the radar, Andy could have quietly disappeared with tens of millions of dollars. (Or at the least, several million) He and others, Fava, Roundy, choose to disply their ill gotten gains publicly. It boggles the mind. As soon as ASD closed they moved on to another scam, confirming their prior knowledge of what they were involved in. Why? I cannot answer that one, but the law is closing in and if I had been a big player in ASD, I would not be sleeping well.